On June 5, the NBA Finals begins with one of the more thrilling matchups in recent years. NBA bettors and fans alike, are chomping at the bit for this series to begin as it features two young teams with a number of rising stars.

The Eastern Conference saw the Indiana Pacers stand tall after taking down three favorites and showing a type of brashness not seen since Reggie Miller donned the jersey.

In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder proved why they were the best team in the NBA all year long. Can they punctuate their amazing season or will the Pacers pull off another massive upset?

Let’s take a look at the latest NBA odds for the Finals and make our NBA Championship predictions.

NBA Finals Schedule

The NBA Finals begin on June 5, and run until June 22 if necessary. The entire series will be televised live on ABC. The following is a breakdown of each scheduled game:

• June 5: Game 1 on ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET
• June 8: Game 2 on ABC, 8 p.m. ET
• June 11: Game 3 on ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET
• June 13: Game 4 on ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET
• June 16: Game 5 on ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET (if necessary)
• June 19: Game 6 on ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET (if necessary)
• June 22: Game 7 on ABC, 8 p.m. ET (if necessary)

NBA Championship Odds

Check out the latest NBA Championship odds, courtesy of the best sports betting sites:

If you followed along with our NBA coverage, the OKC Thunder kicked off the NBA Playoffs at +165 odds to win the NBA Championship. That number shrunk to +135 in the Second Round and took another big step downward with a -175 line for the Conference Finals.

Now, the Thunder are -700 to win the series and appear well on their way to winning OKC’s first NBA Championship, if you believe the sportsbooks and top handicappers .

The Indiana Pacers, whose bandwagon I jumped on when the Playoffs started, continues to shock the league but not us. We’ve been riding their heater each round and enjoying the upset victories along with some cash. Will the upset express continue in the NBA Finals?

Dominate the NBA Finals
With Our Elite

Handicapping Membership.

Get Free Trial

NBA Championship Predictions

And, now, there are just two NBA teams left. The Oklahoma City Thunder enter the NBA Finals as a massive betting favorite. And, if they win the first game, then you can expect this moneyline to skyrocket.

The Indiana Pacers have been the Playoff Cinderella in the 2025 NBA postseason by upsetting the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks.

At the beginning of each series, I laid out plenty of reasons why the Pacers can win and highly recommended that you jump on Tyrese Haliburton and company. If you did, then your NBA bankroll should be fat right now.

And, that’s a good thing because there’s plenty of value to be found in this NBA Finals matchup especially when you dive into the Series prop bets.

Indiana’s Magic Carpet Ride

The Pacers entered the Playoffs as the no.4 seed in the Eastern Conference and were overlooked by most from the start of the postseason, despite making it to the Conference Finals last year.

After winning 50 games, Indiana had a number of questions and concerns by the so-called experts. However, when you dug deep into the matchups for each series, you would’ve seen that Indiana had fared well against each Playoff opponent this postseason.

The Pacers eliminated one of their rivals the Milwaukee Bucks in five games. Then took down the East’s no.1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers after making them look like a Play-In Tournament team. Keep in mind, the Cavs had the second-best record in the NBA with 64 wins.

In the Conference Finals, the Pacers took New York’s best punch, grinned, spit out some blood and wiped the floor with the Knicks to eliminate them in six games.

Haliburton put up some impressive numbers along the way as he averaged 18.8 ppg, 9.8 apg, and 5.7 rpg. Yet, it was his teammate Pascal Siakam who took home the Larry Bird Trophy after tallying three 30-point outings versus the Knicks.

Indiana’s Playoff run can be summed up with three of the largest comeback victories in NBA postseason history:

• down seven vs. Bucks with 40 seconds left in Game 5
• down seven vs. Cavs with 50 seconds left in Game 2
• down 14 vs. Knicks with 2:51 left in Game 1

A Thunderous Run Through The Postseason

Not only did the Thunder dominate the regular season as they finished with the best record (68-14) but they also dominated the Playoffs as well. Their only test came against the Nuggets in the second round. Otherwise, OKC easily dispatched the Grizzlies in the first round and the Timberwolves in the Conference Finals.

In fact, OKC has been so dominant that they finished off the Timberwolves with a 30-point victory in Game 5 of the series. It marked their fourth victory of 30 or more points in this thunderous playoff run. That’s the most for any team in NBA history.

Led by the NBA MVP, and Magic Johnson award winner, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder have been nothing short of amazing.

SGA has averaged 29.8 ppg and 6.9 apg during the Playoffs. He’s consistently outplayed each opponent’s top scorer like Ja Morant, Nikola Jokic, and Anthony Edwards. He will have to do the same in the NBA Finals versus Haliburton.

But it’s not all on SGA. This team has the depth and the defense to beat anyone. And, that’s exactly what I see happening in the NBA Finals.

Who Wins The NBA Finals: Pacers or Thunder?

These two teams played against each other twice during the regular season. On Dec. 26, the Thunder came back from behind to win in Indiana by the score of 120-114. SGA scored 45 points in this matchup.

On March 29, OKC easily won at home by the score of 132-111. They took a 22-point lead after three quarters and cruised to the finish line.

In the Playoffs, the Thunder have improved their top ranked defense even further. That’s a scary thought considering how dominant they already were in the regular season.

OKC lowered its defensive efficiency to 104.7 pap 100 possessions. They increased their season averages of 17.0 turnovers for 21.8 ppg to 18.0 turnovers for 23.8 ppg.

And, the Thunder did this while facing some the league’s best players like Jokic and Edwards. Furthermore, OKC went 29-1 against the Eastern Conference this year. That’s the best interconference mark in NBA history.

So, not only are the Thunder shaking the pillars of the NBA heavens but they’re also rewriting the history books as well.

I’m not afraid to admit that Tyrese Haliburton has been one of my favorite players since my lowly Sacramento Kings drafted him. I’m also a Chet Holmgren fan because I love the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

As much as I would love to see Haliburton win and cap off the fairytale, the Thunder are just too good to beat. Everything that the Pacers can do, the Thunder do better.

OKC has the better defense, the better depth, a unicorn in Holmgren, and the NBA MVP in SGA. Ever since the Celtics were eliminated, I’ve said the Thunder would win the NBA Championship. And, despite my heart picking Haliburton and company, my mind and money are going with the Thunder.

Bet: Oklahoma City Thunder (-700)

NBA Finals Prop Bets

Check out the latest NBA Finals prop bets:

Series Correct Score

• Thunder 4-1 (+190)
• Thunder 4-0 (+300
• Thunder 4-2 (+375)
• Thunder 4-3 (+500)
• Pacers 4-3 (+1100)
• Pacers 4-2 (+1400)
• Pacers 4-1 (+3500)
• Pacers 4-0 (+6000)

With a pick of the Thunder to win the NBA Finals, the only question is when will the series end. I’ve really gone back and forth on this one. For entertainment and emotional reasons, I hope it goes at least six. However, every stat points to it ending in five.

I’m taking the Thunder to win in 5. And, I wouldn’t rule out a sweep.

Bet: Thunder 4-1 (+190)

When Will Series End?

• Game 4 (+290)
• Game 5 (+175)
• Game 6 (+280)
• Game 7 (+330)

Game 5 will take place on Monday, June 16, in Oklahoma City. The series returns to OKC after two games at Indiana. I see it ending here on the Thunder’s home court.

Bet: Game 5 (+175)

To Win From Behind

• Thunder to never trail in Finals (-225)
• Thunder to win from behind (+325)
• Pacers to win from behind (+750)
• Pacers to never trail in Finals (+1600)

It would take a miracle for the Pacers to win this series. I don’t see a scenario where the Thunder trail in this series. They will win their two opening games at home, then split with the Pacers at Indiana, before returning home in Game 5 to win the Championship.

Bet: Thunder to never trail in Finals (-225)

Road Wins In Series

• Over 1.5 (-260)
• Under 1.5 (+190)

For this to go Over, the Pacers would have to win a game on the road and I just don’t see that happening. The Thunder will win Game 3 or Game 4 at Indiana and then finish off the series in Game 5. Even if each team wins their home games, then it’s still Under 1.5 road wins.

Bet: Under 1.5 (+190)

Correct Score After Game 4

• Thunder 4-0 (+300)
• Thunder 3-1 (+120)
• Thunder 2-2 (+220)
• Pacers 4-0 (+6000)
• Pacers 3-1 (+900)

If you connected the dots from the above prop bets, then you will see that I believe this series will be 3-1 in favor of the Thunder heading into the decisive Game 5 matchup at home where OKC wins the NBA Title.

Bet: Thunder 3-1 (+120)

NBA Finals Winners

The following is a list of the most recent NBA Champions: